Jimi Hendrix – War Heroes

I have a lovely copy of the UK 1972 original press. It isn't tinny at all through my system. Loads of bottom, plenty of clarity but smooth. Clean as well. Speaking of which I gave mine a thorough soaking with isopropyl alcohol and rinsed with de-ionised water.

The other thing, this album has had such bad press. The weakest of the 'trilogy' etc. It's a good time album. The psychedelics and trippiness aren't on the menu here. It's quite a black album actually...soul, funk, ska/reggae, swing. I can hear the Sly And The Family Stone influence. He sounds like he's having a great time getting groovy. In fact, as well as being maybe filed under 'jams' while the engineer sorted out levels on the desk, I can imagine several of these tracks were put on the shelf because they were deemed ill-suited to the 'conventional' rock fan base which the record company were keen to cater for. And judging by how critical the un-groovy soulless 'white man' rock fans have been about this album, they might have been right!! NOt to me though. I LOVE hearing Hendrix get into the groove!! We would've been robbed of that had this album not been released. Fans of all old school RnB and soul music out there. Get a copy. UK original press.

PS I don't even accept the notion that 'Izabella' was added to this release to make it 'stronger'. It was the B-side to the 45rpm single 'Stepping Stone' which ends Side One (while Izabella ends Side Two), both recorded in 1970, very late, which all fits in nicely. Not to mention it's yet another GROOVE oriented track which suits the feel of the album.

I find it mildly amusing that when the track play order was sequenced for the 8-Track cartridge programs, they placed 3 Little Bears at the end. In the track after Jimi cracks up and says they need to stop the tape, the tape actually stops. (Depending on your equipment of course)

This mastering (all pressings with cat. # 813 573-2) includes the full uncensored version of "3 Little Bears". Later editions with cat. # 847 262-2 feature the censored remixed version.

Catalog # 847 262-2 Polydor edition of "War Heroes" (including this WG press) contains the censored/remix version of "3 Little Bears". Verified with my own copy.

Amazing mile wide stereo
Midnight and three little bears (Jimi plays Ska!)are so vivid and immersive its almost like listening to a Quad pressing

Make sure you grab the reprise pressing and not the horrid tinny UK variant

all the best material is on side 2 IMHO
I agree with the other viewer that this is the weakest of the Trilogy, No wonder Jeffrey Pulled Izabella from Rainbow Bridge so he could make this offering stronger

Not your list of popular tunes from Hendrix, but enjoyable album.

An excellent posthumous release with a couple now-classics (Stepping Stone, Isabella, Highway Chile), with a couple of fun instrumentals and a weird cover of Peter Gunn that segues into a waltz, "Catastrophe", sung in a delightfully lazy voice. Sounds very good too, with punchy bass and generally well balanced.

Note that Jimi is spelled 'Jimmi' on the spine. ...........

JIMI HENDRIX War Heroes (the misspress of my ex. is the result of an accident at the pressing plant. Instead of Side One being SPELP4, they pressed it with the stamper for SHELP4, which is Siouxsie & The Banshees 'Through The Looking Glass', with 'Viva Malvinas' scratched into the run-off area. The labels & the sleeve are for the final issue of War Heroes. A wonderfully odd curio of a kind that seldom surfaces or indeed leaves the factory SPELP4)

its not a Pitman pressing and has no P in the matrixes. the RL is hand etched after the STERLING stamp.